


Music Calms The Soul

by cumberhugger



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Friends to Lovers, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:42:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22662679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cumberhugger/pseuds/cumberhugger
Summary: Bucky really shouldn't have been surprised when his therapist recommended that he get a hobby so that he could release some of the pent up anger & frustration he's been having. The potential hobby list he gives Bucky is shit, though.What he doesn't expect, is when Tony says, “Maybe you should try playing an instrument. My mom used to say that music calms the soul,” Tony said the last part with a big woosh of his arms, emphasizing it in his tone. And then he murmurs, mostly to himself, as the elevator door close in front of him, “Always thought men who could play an instrument were hot.”Well, fuck.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 4
Kudos: 144





	1. How It All Started

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So, this is my first fanfiction!
> 
> It's really only supposed to be one chapter, the whole thing is basically done, just needs an ending. 
> 
> But as I was writing it, I thought that maybe I should test the waters first? This is basically the whole plot where Bucky first gets the idea to take up a hobby to please a certain genius. ^^
> 
> I'm planning for it to progress into a Friends to Lovers although its clear they're both pining type of shit. If y'all like it, leave some kudos and I'll upload the second chapter, kay!
> 
> Thanks, hope you like it!  
> Leaving some constructive critisism behind is appreciated too!




That’s the exact amount of punching bags that he’s destroyed these past _4 days._ Ever since waking up as a super soldier, Bucky has so much pent up energy that he has no idea what to do with it. That with the combination of night terrors he’s been having, he’s got _angry_ pent up energy that he wants to release. Although, after 189 goddamn punching bags, he really doesn’t feel any better.

So, when his therapist had suddenly given him a list of options to help him get started finding a hobby, he really shouldn’t have been surprised.

With a sincere smile the man said, “I’m sure it wont be hard for you to develop a hobby, it usually helps a lot to have a positive vent that you can run a way to if something is overwhelming you.” Bucky had thanked him, and parts of him agreed wholeheartedly. He can’t keep brooding and destroying Stark’s modified super-soldier punching bags as an escape. He needed something productive, something that could calm him outside of fighting.

That’s how he found himself at 2AM in the communal floor, behind the kitchen counter, staring at the list that his therapist gave him earlier. Mostly everything on the list had been a solid _no_ , some he was tentative on but couldn’t really see actually pursuing.

With a sigh, Bucky realized that this wouldn’t be as easy as his therapist had originally made it seem. Bucky wasn’t the man he used to be. He wasn’t the suave soldier who had different women hanging on his arm every other night. He wasn’t the smooth slow dancer who’d make heads turn at any bar. Ever since HYDRA, he could barely string a sentence together; even writing was hard for him. Hence, why bullet journaling was quickly taken of the list.

He didn’t even remember if past Bucky was even good at a particular skill, aside from being a damn good sniper. Although, he tried not to get too caught up into things he cant remember, because his therapist had said that everyone’s progress was different and he should be proud that he’s slowly remembering little things. Like helping Steve with back alley fights, how his sisters used to speak and giggle at him, even what his mother used to cook for him on days where they had more money to spend. The depression was hard, but he remembered being _happy_. He missed it.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize the resident genius that just stepped out of the elevator until Tony is brushing past him in the kitchen, going straight to the coffee machine. Which speaks a lot of his trust for Tony. He wouldn’t have let his guard down that much if it were anyone else. Bucky watches bemused, as Tony doesn’t even realize he’s there. The inventor’s hair is sticking up in weird places and there is a rather large oil stain in the front of his tank top, Bucky also notes in slight concern that there are bags under his eyes and that the man was very much whispering to himself.

He decides to speak up, “Tony, how long has it been since you’ve last slept?”

Tony’s reaction is equally as funny as it was shocking. The genius squawked like a dignified bird, he was so shocked he flinched so hard he lost his grip on the coffee cup he was holding. It fell to the floor and shattered, spilling coffee everywhere. Bucky was beside him before the other man could even start to panic.

He actually picked Tony up princess style, and moved him to the sofa. The man didn’t even protest, just murmured an absentminded _what the fuck_ as he was plopped down to the sofa. It also helps that Bucky has picked him up several times before, when he was basically falling asleep off his chair in the workshop so that he could move him to the sofa. Bucky tried not to blush as he remembered the way the genius had basically melted into his arms as soon as he’d gotten used to it.

Bucky thought back to all those times and couldn’t help feeling a very familiar warmth spreading in his chest. Tony, surprisingly, had been very welcome of him. Ever since he had plucked up the courage to go down to the genius’ workshop, and asked if Tony could maybe, possibly want to help look at his arm because was hurting him... well, it didn’t take long for Bucky to keep coming back.

If Tony asks, he’d say he missed DUM-E, and although the wonderful robot had been a very important factor in his slow recovery, the way Tony was always so enamoring and excited and _beautiful_ whilst explaining to him about the future, about what he was working on, and about his general life was a bonus.

It wasn’t after Bucky had cleaned the mess and given Tony a fresh hot cup of coffee though, that he starts to speak, “What.” Tony started, blinking slowly, “What are you even doing here. It’s like.” Tony stops again, eyes slightly narrowing in thought, he couldn’t think of an actual time though, because he only continues with, “An ungodly o’clock in the morning.”

Bucky shrugs and holds up the list, “My therapist told me to take up a hobby,” He smiled sheepishly, Brooklyn drawl a little bit more pronounced because of the nervousness, “So that I can get less strung out, ya know. Was tryn’a think of one that would suit me, lost track of time.”

“Most of those things are crossed out.” Tony deadpans, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

“I-uh, yeah. Didn’t really seem interesting.” That was the only explanation Bucky could give, he himself was a little embarrassed and annoyed at himself for being this picky about a _goddamn hobby._

Tony only shook his head, and got up wobble back into the elevator. As he walks, he says, “Maybe you should try playing an instrument. My mom used to say that music calms the soul,” Tony said the last part with a big woosh of his arms, emphasizing it in his tone. And then he murmurs, mostly to himself, as the elevator door close in front of him, “Always thought men who could play an instrument were _hot._ ”

A light bulb appears inside Bucky’s head as he replies, “Get some sleep Tony!”

* * *

That’s how Bucky spent the whole of the next week trying to choose an instrument to play.

At this point, Bucky is fucking _frustrated._ He had asked JARVIS for a little help to find some instruments that he could buy. As per requested, JARVIS ran a search on the _Google_ and showed him his options. _There were so many options_.

A lot of the smaller and more fragile instruments he’d have to avoid because of his super strength, he usually can’t be too gentle with things. So, violins were a no go. Drums, he’d tried in a music shop down town whilst he was surveying his options, _barely_ got away with not hitting it so hard that he’d rip the canvas top. He hadn’t been so lucky with the acoustic guitar though. He might’ve been too rough handling the neck of the guitar and well… let’s say it snapped and he made a rather large donation to the shop owner who didn’t stop smiling _once_ even though he’d almost destroyed everything in her shop.

Bucky could barely chose what cereal he wants to eat in the morning, let alone chose one instrument that would make Tony think he was even remotely attractive. And maybe then he’d have the courage to ask if Tony would like to go on a date with him- or.. or something.

_Fuck._

“JARVIS, what do you think I should play?” He asked, looking up at the ceiling where he was laying down on his bed.

“I believe you should try something a little sturdier and doesn’t require much strength, Sergeant.” Bucky’s lips twitched up in a small smile at the AI’s fond tone. Sometimes it shocks him how much emotion the AI could convey just from his voice.

“Yeah, I agree. I can’t think of anything that would check all the boxes though, y’know? ‘S getting a little frustrating.” Bucky answered, closing his eyes.

It took a few moments before he heard a reply, but the reply is what makes his day because _damn_ JARVIS is a genius much like his creator, “How about the piano, Sergeant?”

Hearing the word _piano_ sends a jolt of memories in his brain, one of a little kid in Brooklyn with fast moving fingers, playing an old dark wooded Grand Piano. Bucky remembers being good at the Piano, something his mother had taught him to do with his grand mama’s old piano before the depression. Before they had to sell it so that they could make enough to eat for the day.

He sat up with a wide grin, “JARVIS, I think I love you pal.”

The deadpan voice that answers him makes him chuckle fondly, “I live to serve, Sergeant.”

It takes him all but a few minutes to retrieve his Starkpad and search for oak pianos for sale and video tutorials on how to play them.


	2. The Piano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bucky finds his perfect piano at 4 in the morning, and everything's going swell.

It took Bucky approximately 22 hours to find _the_ Piano. Bucky thought maybe he was being too sentimental and picky about this, but then again, the whole reason a hobby was necessary was so that he could deal with his feelings. So, it shouldn’t be a bad thing that he’s looked through more pianos than he’s ever seen _in his life_ before he’d fallen for and decided on the one he’ll purchase.

Bucky had been so excited when he woke up to a message from the seller of the piano the next morning; Who had confirmed the availability of the instrument and said that the store was open 24 hours. He got dressed in his immediately at 4 in the morning, a leather jacket over his Henley, a pair of black sweatpants, a cap and a pair of gloves, and took his motorbike to 12th street where the store laid in all its glory.

After he had put his bike on its stand and gotten off, he found himself staring at the store, heart pounding with anticipation and a shit ton of anxiety. It wasn’t a very big place, but the front was painted a pastel teal color with vintage architecture and a big window that showcased a variety of elegant and beautiful instruments. With a deep breath, Bucky squared his shoulders and marched on inwards.

Bucky was glad to see that the store was also empty aside from the girl behind the counter, who he’s sure is Naomi, the woman whom he made an appointment with to see the Piano. She smiles at him as he walks in, then she approaches him and gives a little bow, “Welcome to Soul Sound, I take it you’re James?”.

Bucky nods in reply, and after a year of therapy and being in the tower, he’d even managed to relax a little and give her a small smile back, “I’m here about the piano.” He replies, grimacing a little from the rough sound of his own voice.

Naomi didn’t seem to be bothered, she just nods again and ushers him to follow her, “Yes, my manager, whom you spoke through text, told me which piece you had your eyes on so we could get her ready for you by the time you stopped by.”

Bucky follows behind her, he looks around at all the hanging violins to his right and fidgets with his sleeve, humming in reply, “Sorry, I must’ve not given you a lot of time, considering I was here practically less than an hour after the confirmation message.”

At this, Naomi looks over her shoulder and smiled wide, her nose and eyes crinkling, “No, no don’t worry about it. This is truly a piece fit for excitement, we only made 3 pianos in this line, so it’s also a collector’s piece.” She turned her head back to her front, opening a door somewhere in the back of the store and waved for him to go inside first, “She’s inside. Lucky for you, this is literally our last piece. A buyer came a week ago and made a down payment for it, but then cancelled at the last minute.”

Bucky steps to enter the room, and as soon as his eyes land on the piano he sucks in a sharp, shocked breath. Well, Bucky wasn’t sure what he had expected but he didn’t think he’s be _this_ blown away. His feet were moving on its own accord, and before he realized it he was walking towards the middle of the room where the piano was. He traces his hands over the keys, and then over the Japanese spruce frame. He inspects the whole piano, going around it twice with his fingers trailing over the edge of the piano lid.

He’d been quiet for a long time when Naomi’s voice almost gives him a heart attack, “She’s a beaut, ain’t she? You look properly transfixed.” Bucky looks up and sees her still standing in the door frame with a fond smile on her face, “But, as we all know, a piano’s worth isn’t only from the way she looks, but also how she plays. So, I’m going to leave you to it. I’ll be behind the counter once you’ve made your decision. Don’t worry about being loud, the rooms here are soundproof.” She smiles as he nods his understanding. And at that, she gives another little bow and turns to leave, closing the door behind her.

Bucky looks back at the piano and for a second he panics. In the 22 hours it took to find this piano, he had watched a few videos on the Internet, a place called Youtube in particular, that showed step by step tutorials on how to play the piano. He had learnt the basics first, the assembly inside the instrument, what they were called, what use came out of them. And then watched a few musical tutorials on songs that he knew to get him a head start. Bucky was a fast learner, even before the super serum, so it didn’t take much for him to remember everything by heart.

So, why was it so _goddamn_ nerve wracking to sit on the piano’s bench and... and start playing?

He took a deep breath, sat down and placed his fingers over the keys. After a few beats, Bucky closed his eyes, at first thinking back to when he learnt the notes of each key, which notes complements each other and which ones didn’t. Still with his eyes closed, he pressed some keys experimentally, and then almost absentmindedly his fingers started to play a very nostalgic melody, one he didn’t learn from the videos he had watched. The melody brought back memories of his mother. Her smile. He remembered her voice as she sang whenever he played this particular song, and for a second, he imagines how warm she would be if she was by his side right now. For once, those thoughts did not bring sadness, instead it brought peace in Bucky’s mind, a reminder that even though Winter is a part of him, Bucky was too.

He notices that the piano he was playing sounded much smoother than the one he had back in his youth, but the keys felt familiar under his fingers, and he even realized that the metal ones displayed a lot of delicacy whilst playing it. When he neared the end of the melody, he couldn't help but smile and let out a little sigh of relief. This piano was beautiful, it reminded him of his mother. It was perfect.

He also felt relieved that he’s been out for a little over an hour now, but nobody’s come looking for him in a panic. The whole experience of going out of the tower alone was something that Bucky rarely ever did, but it calmed him a little that nothing had gone wrong. But Bucky knew moving this into the tower would be less conspicuous, considering they needed two people and a whole moving truck to bring the piano up to his apartment.

He mulls over his choices for a second, before bracing himself to ask Tony for permission to have civils inside the tower, hoping he doesn’t give the surprise away. He takes his phone out of his pocket and texts Tony,

_To: Tony_

_Hi. Do you mind if I have a truck and some movers in the tower and up on my floor?_

Okay, sent. That was vague, yet clear enough.

Apparently, Tony must have still been up in the lab, because only a few seconds later he reads the message and surprisingly, calls Bucky. Bucky almost _throws his phone away_ , and he doesn’t know what to do. Tony rarely ever calls anyone, let alone Bucky, and when he does it’s usually pretty important. Okay fuck, it’s been ringing too long. Bucky has no choice but to pick up. When he does pick up, Tony’s voice is breathless, “You’re moving out?”

Bucky furrows his brows, and thinks about his answer. He can’t tell Tony that he bought a piano yet, so he has to be discreet, “I- No. I bought something, I need help bringing it home.” He almost punches himself in the face because yep. Nice going Buck, real discreet.

But then Tony’s voice is a little faraway and small when he repeats what Bucky had said, and Bucky’s sure without his super human hearing he wouldn’t have been able to hear the sound of Tony whispering “oh.” and “ _Home._ ” under his breath. It didn’t last long though, because the next second Tony shuffles and he can hear the smile behind the loud reply, “Sure thing Snowflake, be my guest. You should call Pepper though, she’ll help let them in through security. Just tell your guys to have their ID’s ready ‘cause you can never be too careful.”

Bucky smiles and relaxes the muscles he didn’t even know were tense, replies a “Yes, okay. I will.” and murmurs a thanks.

A pause, then Tony says, “You gonna tell me what you bought?”

And just like that Bucky is on high alert again, tense and thinking of a way out, “I-Um. Its-Its something for Stevie. His birthday is coming up.” And that was true, Steve’s birthday was only a month away, and he should actually really be searching for a gift soon enough so- It was only a white lie.

Tony chuckles, “Okay big guy. Weird that you went out for a birthday present at five in the morning _alone_ but I guess Captain Spangled means a lot to you, so. I’ll be nice and help you keep this a secret,” Bucky was about to reply when Tony continued his ramble, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed for a weekend long SI conference in DC in four hours and I’m trying to cram as many projects as I can right now so that I can make up an acceptable excuse for being an hour- maybe two hours late on purpose.”

“I don’t understand your logic-“

Tony cuts him off with a snort, “Nobody does, I’m a genius.”

“-But get something to eat, Tony. I have sandwiches in the fridge that I made last night, saved 3 for you. Have one for breakfast and bring the other two to DC just in case you need a snack.”

Tony pauses for long enough that Bucky checked to see if the call was on, but then replies with a soft, “Okay, thanks Snowflake.”

Bucky can feel butterflies in his stomach, his heart is hammering when he says, “Anytime, Tony. I’ll be home soon, see you Monday”

At Tony’s quiet, “Monday. See you then.” He hangs up.

Bucky is slightly relieved that Tony isn’t there this evening, which usually doesn’t happen because he dislikes not having the genius around, but it means he can bring up the piano without problems or being found out. So, with that in mind he puts his phone back in his pocket, takes out his wallet and walks back to the counter in the front of the store to tell Naomi that yes, this piano is a beaut, and yes he’s taking it home today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter, it's legitimately been months. But with the pandemic, working from home, and some health issues, I've only just had time to fill in some bits and bobs that I had left blank. 
> 
> At first I actually had the two chapters ready, but then when I read the second chapter back before I was about to upload it, I realized that I didn't like it much and rewrote it to what it is now. This was supposed to be a three chapter thing, but I might add another chapter just to add to the slow burn and the aftermath, hehe. 
> 
> Hopefully, you'll like it as much as I do!  
> If you're looking for some cool stuff, It would really help if you checked out my Redbubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/Cumberhugger/shop?asc=u ! 
> 
> Thanks guys, see you in the next installment!


End file.
